University of Johannesburg (UJ) Arts & Culture, a division of the institution’s faculty of art, design and architecture, will soon participate in the upcoming 2024 Vrystaat Kunstefees, which takes place from July 2-6 this year. The arts festival, also known as Tsa-Botjhaba, is an established event with national and international work in a range of genres. It has been held annually for the past 23 years in Bloemfontein and showcases a range of creative disciplines, including visual arts, music, dance, theatre and literature. “One festival, many stories” is the guiding principle behind the programming this year.
As part of this year's line-up, UJ Arts & Culture will present a dance production titled With-Out Limits, in collaboration with its resident dance company Broken Borders, under the directorship of distinguished choreographer and performer Fana Tshabalala, renowned for his contributions to dance both locally and internationally. He received the 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance, the 2014 Visa for Creation, and the 2018 Outstanding Choreography Award in Chicago. Tshabalala is a co-founder and the artistic director of the Broken Borders Arts Project at UJ Arts & Culture.
With-Out Limits explores the possibilities of blending dance and visual storytelling through video-mapping projection, introducing audiences to an exciting, fresh perspective on dance. “This isn’t the first time UJ Arts & Culture finds itself at the intersection of creativity and technology. Last year, the division held its ‘Futures & Beyond: Creativity & 4IR’ forums and conference at the Vrystaat Kunstefees, where, in partnership with Siziintsomi Creations and Different Immersive, it presented Black Boi Meets Boogeyman, an immersive XR 360° visual album experience with multi-endings, where viewers could ‘choose their own adventure’,” says division head Pieter Jacobs.
This year’s show, With-Out Limits, follows the journey of a young man from a rural village who aspires to join the corporate sector to support his family. But this world quickly becomes too restrictive for him, and in time he becomes disillusioned with his monotonous routine and longs for the freedom of his rural life. Seeking solace, he retreats into an imaginary world of abundant nature. The show invites audiences on a futuristic journey, blending technology and human imagination, through the Fourth Industrial Revolution as the protagonist navigates a hyperconnected world while longing for authenticity amid corporate rigidity.
Tshabalala highlights the uniqueness of the project: “It’s different from anything I’ve done before. It’s the first time I’ve collaborated closely with a lighting designer and videographer to ensure the dance piece is seamless and meaningful to the audience.” With preparations and rehearsals well under way, Tshabalala anticipates delivering a show that will take audiences on an emotional rollercoaster, leaving them to reflect on their existence in a digital era where reality and imagination combine.
The production foregrounds the creative collaboration between executive producer Pieter Jacobs, choreographer and dancer Fana Tshabalala, creative and line producer as well as set designer Karabo Mtshali, video content designer and cinematographer Jurgen Meekel, lighting designer and projectionist Oliver Hauser, sound designer and composer Kuba Silkiewicz, and costume designer Nthabiseng Makone, all working in conjunction with the Key Creative Team.
Tickets are now available for purchase through Webtickets here.
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